Courier Friends to Follow

Abusers may be grouped

Four broad divisions exist to categorize child molesters

On March 1, 2004, Dominique Jovone Dowling was charged with one count of aggravated child molestation, one count of child molestation, one count of aggravated sodomy and three counts of child molestation for allegedly performing acts on a female under the age of 16 who lives in Hinesville. He spent time in Liberty County jail waiting for his bond hearing and underwent a mental evaluation, after which he was described as mildly mentally retarded, but competent enough to understand the difference between right and wrong and to stand trial. In June 2005, Dowling posted $10,000 cash bond and was released. On Feb 26, 2007, he was rearrested after he allegedly molested another young female. He was charged with five counts of statutory rape in addition to the previous charges. In May, an additional charge of child molestation was added. Richard Lee, a former S.T.A.R. instructor in Liberty County, faces one count of child molestation and one count of criminal attempt to commit child molestation for allegedly picking up a young female student in his personal car and offering her a ride home. According to the incident report, Lee drove to Shuman’s gas station in Gum Branch and bought the girl a bag of chips. When they left, he allegedly attempted to perform lewd acts on the girl while driving her home. The girl reportedly told her guardian about the incident when she got home and they called 911. At first, Lee was relieved of his duties and put on administrative leave but has since been discharged.“Mr. Richard Lee no longer works in any capacity with the Liberty County School District,” Jason Rogers, the Liberty County school system’s assistant superintendent of administrative services, said in a written statement. “The Liberty County School District is cooperatively working with all applicable parties during this investigation. In addition, Mr. Lee was not an employee of the district but rather an employee of STAR programs that contract with the BOE."Lee was indicted by the grand jury May 14, and entered a plea of not guilty July 21.Curtis Lane Taylor pleaded guilty to child molestation and received a sentence of one year to serve and nine years probation after he allegedly forced a girl under 16 to touch him. His probation officer filed a felony probation violation for failing to maintain an address and reported that, as of Sept. 14, 2007, Taylor absconded.Calvin Homes was charged with two counts of child molestation and one count of child molestation aggravated sodomy when he allegedly abused a girl under the age of four in May 2007. The victim’s mother said she is angry Homes was allowed to pay a $60,000 bond for his release back into her community. As an added measure of protection, the victim’s mother took out protection orders and maintaining Homes poses a threat to other children in the community. By August, investigators found sufficient evidence that Holmes committed more acts on two other young girls. He was charged with two counts of rape, four additional counts of child molestation and four counts of aggravated child molestation. He is currently in jail with a new bond of $111,000.These cases represent a sampling of those pending in Liberty County Superior Court. Although they all center around child molestation charges, each case offers a different glimpse of an accused molester’s characteristics and circumstances.According to the Child Molestation, Research & Prevention Institute, sexual abusers and child molesters fall into one or more of four broad categories. 1. The accused molester is a child or teenager who is sexually curious or experimenting. 2. The accused molester has a medical conditoin or mental problem requiring treatment. 3. The accused molester is an opportunist who lack feelings for others and/or has an antisocial personality disorder. 4. The accused molester has an ongoing sex drive directed toward children. In nearly all cases, the suspect appears to be an average individual. In 95 percent of the cases, the molester knows or is related to the victim. When it comes to child molestation, “stranger danger” cases are rare. According to Dowling’s mental evaluation, his brain currently functions at a teenage level. According to the research done by the Child Molestation, Research & Prevention Institute, he may fall into the first two categories because children and teenagers are sexually curious. Curiosity is a major trait of humans. Some teens use much younger children to find out about sex because they can convince these children to take their clothes off. A few sexual abusers will sexually touch a child because they are profoundly intellectually disabled, or they have developed a brain disorder. Close supervision and, when appropriate, medications to control the disorder often stop child molesters in this group.The research shows some abusers will touch a child sexually because the abuser has an antisocial personality disorder. He or she believes the rules of society do not apply to them. They break many of society's rules. They lack feelings for others. According to research, antisocials are of the mindset that all members of society, including children, exist to be used. The child molesters in this group appear most often in accounts seen on television and in the newspaper.According to the Child Molestation, Research & Prevention Institute’s Web site, researchers analyzed data provided by 4,000 abusers in the child molestation prevention study. They discovered members of the first three categories — the sexually curious teens, the adults with medical or mental disorders and the antisocials — were responsible for only five percent of the sex acts committed against children. In contrast, members of the fourth category were responsible for 95 percent of the sex acts committed against children. Abusers 16 and older who molest because of an ongoing sex drive directed toward children, are most often diagnozed with a pedophilia disorder. An ongoing sex drive directed toward children can be identified early by a sex-specific physician or therapist and successfully controlled with sex-specific therapies and medication, when appropriate. Reception of treatment from a specialist is 87 percent effective. Three calls requesting comment from Richard Lee's attorney were not returned.Dowling's case is being handled through the public defenders office and through attorney Kimberly Copeland. Bess Walthour recently was assigned to his case, but opted not comment at this time.